H.R.4425 - Food and Farm Act115th Congress (2017-2018)

Bill

House - Agriculture; Ways and Means; Education and the Workforce; Foreign Affairs

Latest Action:

House - 11/16/2017 Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. (All Actions)

Text available as:

Shown Here:Introduced in House (11/16/2017)

115th CONGRESS1st Session

H. R. 4425

To reform the safety net for farmers and ranchers, enhance soil, water, and habitat conservation,
encourage beginning farmers and ranchers, strengthen nutrition for
Americans, support agriculture research and innovation, reduce food waste,
improve animal welfare, and invest in regional food systems, and for other
purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 16, 2017

Mr. Blumenauer introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To reform the safety net for farmers and ranchers, enhance soil, water, and habitat conservation,
encourage beginning farmers and ranchers, strengthen nutrition for
Americans, support agriculture research and innovation, reduce food waste,
improve animal welfare, and invest in regional food systems, and for other
purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1.Short title; table of contents.

(a) Short title.—This Act may be cited as the “Food and Farm Act”.

(b) Table of contents.—The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

(a) Repeal.—Part II of subtitle A of title I of the Agriculture Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9011 et seq.) is repealed.

(b) Continued application for 2017 crop year.—Part II of subtitle A of title I of the Agriculture Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9011 et seq.), as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act, shall continue to apply through the 2017 crop year with respect to each covered commodity (as defined in section 1111(6) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 9011(6))) on a farm.

SEC. 102. Comprehensive cap on total agricultural subsidies an eligible entity may receive.

(1) by redesignating subsections (e) through (h) as subsections (f) through (i), respectively;

(2) in such subsections, by striking “(b) and (c)” and “(b) or (c)” each place it appears and inserting “(b), (c), and (e)” and “(b), (c), or (e)”, respectively; and

(3) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new subsection (e):

“(e) Limitation on total payments.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the total amount of payments and benefits described in section 1001D(b)(2) received, directly or indirectly, by a person or legal entity (except a joint venture or general partnership) during a crop, fiscal, or program year, as appropriate, may not exceed $125,000.”.

(A) in the subsection heading, by striking “(other than Peanuts)”; and

(B) in the text, by striking “(other than for peanuts)”; and

(2) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following new sentence: “Effective beginning with the 2019 crop year, subsection (b), rather than this subsection, shall apply to payments received as marketing loan gains or loan deficiency payments under subtitle B of title I of the Agricultural Act of 2014 for peanuts.”.

SEC. 105. Strengthening prevented planting coverage.

(a) Planting of cover crop.—Section 508A(c)(1)(A)(i) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508a(c)(1)(A)(i)) is amended by inserting before the semicolon the following: “, but, in that case, the producer shall plant a cover crop on the same acreage for the same crop year unless doing so would not constitute a good farming practice, as determined by the Secretary”.

(b) Area conditions required for payment.—Section 508A(c)(4) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508a(c)(4)) is amended by striking “, in the area where” and inserting “in the same county, in an adjoining county, or operating within 100 miles of the affected producers, whichever area is greater,”.

(c) Additional conditions.—Section 508A(c) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508a) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:

“(6) SUCCESSFUL PLANTING.—In order to qualify for prevented planting coverage, the land to be covered must have been planted in at least one of the preceding 3 crop years.

“(7) IRRIGATION GUIDANCE.—The Corporation shall develop guidance on the efficient conservative use of irrigation water when a crop is clearly lost to ensure the program does not contribute to the inefficient use of water resources.

Section 508(g) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(g)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(6) YIELD TRANSFER PROHIBITED.—The Corporation shall not allow a producer’s actual production records from one parcel of land to be used to establish actual production history on a separate parcel of land.”.

SEC. 107. Ensuring planting on suitable land.

Section 508(e) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following paragraph:

“(9) PROHIBITION OF SUBSIDIES ON UNSUITABLE LAND.—The Corporation shall ensure that no premium benefits are provided on lands, other than for pasture, forage, or rangeland policy benefits, that are classified as generally unsuitable for cultivation by the land capability classification system, as determined by the Secretary.”.

SEC. 108. Report on diversity in crop insurance.

Section 508(k)(8) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(k)(8)) is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

“(G) ANNUAL DIVERSITY REPORT.—Each Standard Reinsurance Agreement shall include a requirement for all approved insurance providers to submit to the Corporation on an annual basis a report—

(a) Elimination of liability limitation.—Section 522(c)(19)(A) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(c)(19)(A)) is amended by striking “, with a liability limitation of $1,500,000,”.

(b) Administration.—Section 522(c)(19) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(c)(19)) is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:

“(E) ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATING EXPENSES.—Not withstanding any other provision of this subtitle, the Corporation shall allow approved insurance providers to utilize alternate compensation structures for the administration of the plan developed under subparagraph (A) that—

“(i) compensate agents based on the actual time it takes to write and administer a policy under the plan; or

“(ii) another method approved by the Corporation that proportionally compensates agents for any increased time commitments required by the plan.

“(F) PAPERWORK REDUCTION.—The Corporation shall seek to ensure that the paperwork requirements of agents and producers associated with the plan developed under subparagraph (A) are minimized to the maximum extent possible, while still meeting actuarial soundness standards.

“(G) EXPANDING OPERATIONS.—To the maximum extent possible, the Corporation shall ensure that all producers, including rapidly expanding operations, are able to obtain coverage under the plan developed under subparagraph (A).”.

(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;

(B) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as follows:

“(B) are designed to, in a cost effective and technically practicable manner—

“(i) achieve a substantial improvement in water quality;

“(ii) achieve a rate of soil erosion no greater than the soil loss tolerance level, as determined by the Natural Resources Conservation Service;

“(iii) prevent ephemeral gully erosion; and

“(iv) establish and maintain a minimum of 50 feet of perennial vegetation between covered cropland and intermittent or perennial waterways; and”; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

“(C) are based on the most recent and technically accurate soil erosion prediction models to determine if soil erosion by wind and water exceed the Soil Loss Tolerance Level on covered cropland subject to subtitle B.”;

(5) in paragraph (9), by striking “Any highly erodible land on which an agricultural commodity is produced after December 23, 1985, and that is not exempt under section 1212, shall be considered as part of the field in which the land was included on December 23, 1985, unless the owner and Secretary agree to modification of the boundaries of the field to carry out this title.”; and

(6) by adding at the end the following:

“(28) COVERED CROPLAND.—The term ‘covered cropland’ means cropland, as defined in section 718.2 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, that is planted to a row crop.”.

SEC. 202. Covered cropland program ineligibility.

(a) In general.—Section 1211 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3811) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “a field on which highly erodible land” and all that follows through “shall be ineligible for” and inserting “covered cropland shall be ineligible for”;

(B) in paragraph (1)(A)—

(i) by inserting “or income” after “any type of price”; and

(ii) by inserting “, including a payment made under section 1116 or 1117 of the Agricultural Act of 2014” before the semicolon at the end; and

(C) in paragraph (1)(D), by striking “excessive erosion of highly erodible land” and inserting “substantial erosion or degradation of water quality”; and

(2) in the heading of subsection (b), by striking “Highly Erodible Land” and inserting “Compliance Determination”.

(b) Conforming amendment.—Subtitle B of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3811 et seq.) is amended in the heading by striking “Highly Erodible Land” and inserting “Covered Cropland”.

“(1) IN GENERAL.—If, as of January 1, 2023, or 2 years after the Natural Resources Conservation Service has completed a conservation plan for the farm, whichever is later, a person is actively applying the approved conservation plan, such person shall have until January 1, 2028, to comply with the plan without being subject to program ineligibility.

“(2) MINIMIZATION OF DOCUMENTATION.—In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and local soil conservation districts shall minimize the quantity of documentation a person must submit to comply with this paragraph.

“(3) EXPIRATION.—On the expiration of a contract entered into under subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D, the provisions of this subtitle shall apply to the acreage that was the subject of such contract.”;

(i) by striking “If a person makes a certification under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall not be required to” and inserting “The Secretary shall annually”; and

(ii) by inserting “on not less than 5 percent of the covered cropland subject to this subtitle” after “being applied”; and

(B) in paragraph (3), by striking the last sentence and inserting “The Secretary may revise the person’s conservation plan if the Secretary determines the conservation plan is not meeting the standards in section 1201(a)(4).”; and

“(1) provide technical assistance to a person throughout the development, revision, and application of the conservation plan and any conservation system of the person; and

“(2) make available annually an amount equal to 0.02 percent of the funding otherwise provided for programs specified in section 1211(a), not to exceed $350 million, to provide technical assistance, conduct status reviews and other tasks required to fully implement the provisions of this subtitle.”.

(1) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting “, including payments made under section 1116 or 1117 of the Agricultural Act of 2014” before the period at the end; and

(2) in subsection (c)—

(A) by amending paragraph (2)(B) to read as follows:

“(B) NEW CONVERSIONS.—In the case of a wetland that the Secretary determines was converted after the date of enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014, the person shall be ineligible to receive crop insurance premium subsidies in subsequent reinsurance years unless the Secretary determines that an exemption pursuant to section 1222 applies.”;

(B) in paragraph (3), by striking subparagraph (E); and

(C) in paragraph (4), by inserting at the end the following:

“(D) FUNDING.—The Secretary shall make available annually an amount equal to 0.01 percent of the funding otherwise made available for programs specified in 1221(b), not to exceed $200 million, to provide technical assistance, conduct status reviews and carry out other tasks needed to fully implement the provisions of this subtitle.

“(E) STATUS REVIEWS.—The Secretary shall annually carry out a review of the status of compliance of the person with the conservation plan under which the conservation system is being applied on no less than 5 percent of the covered cropland subject to this subtitle.”.

Section 1240 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa) is amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 1240. Purposes.

“The purpose of the environmental quality incentives program established by this chapter is to assist producers in implementing conservation systems, practices, and activities on their operations in order to—

“(1) improve water quality, with special emphasis on reducing nutrient pollution and protecting sources of drinking water;

“(2) avoid, to the maximum extent practicable, the need for resource and regulatory programs by assisting producers in protecting soil, water, air, and related natural resources and meeting environmental quality criteria established by Federal, State, tribal, and local agencies;

“(3) conserve ground and surface water to sustain or improve in-stream flows;

“(7) reduce the amount and toxicity of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals found on food and in water or the air;

“(8) reduce the nontherapeutic use of medically important antibiotics in food-producing animals in order to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics used in the treatment of human and animal disease;

“(9) help producers adapt to a changing and unpredictable climate and increase resiliency to climate change impacts, including rising temperatures and extreme weather events, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and

(c) Priority.—Section 1240B(c) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(c)) is amended to read as follows:

“(c) Priority.—If the Secretary determines that the environmental values of two or more applications for payments are comparable, the Secretary shall assign a higher priority to a program application which will achieve the environment and conservation values using practices and systems the assessed cost of which is lower.”.

(d) Payments.—

(1) LIMITATION ON SUBSTANTIAL AND PRIMARY BENEFITS.—Section 1240B(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(d)) is amended—

(A) in paragraph (2)—

(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking “or” at the end;

(ii) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; or”; and

(iii) by adding at the end the following:

“(D) 50 percent of the cost of a practice that substantially benefits the producer, as determined by the Secretary.”; and

(B) by adding at the end the following:

“(7) PRIMARY BENEFIT TO PRODUCER.—A producer shall not be eligible for payments for a practice on eligible land under the program that primarily benefits the producer, as determined by the Secretary.”.

(2) INCREASED PAYMENTS FOR CERTAIN PRACTICES.—Section 1240B(d)(3) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(d)(3)) is amended to read as follows:

(3) LIMITATION ON PAYMENTS FOR CERTAIN PRACTICES.—Section 1240B(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(d)) is further amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(8) LIMITATION ON PAYMENTS FOR CERTAIN PRACTICES.—A producer who owns or operates a large confined animal feeding operation (as defined by the Secretary) shall not be eligible for payments under this chapter to construct an animal waste management facility or any associated waste transport or transfer device.”.

(e) Allocation of funding.—Section 1240B(f) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(f)) is amended to read as follows:

“(f) Allocation of funding.—Of the funds made available for payments for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023—

“(1) not less than 10 percent shall be targeted at practices relating to improvement of fish and wildlife habitat; and

“(2) not less than 5 percent shall be provided to producers who participate in an independent animal welfare certification program, as defined in section 801 of the Food and Farm Act”..”.

(f) Water conservation or irrigation efficiency practice.—

(1) AVAILABILITY OF PAYMENTS.—Section 1240B(h)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(h)(1)) is amended to read as follows:

“(1) AVAILABILITY OF PAYMENTS.—The Secretary may provide payments under this subsection to a producer for a water conservation or irrigation practice that promotes ground and surface water conservation on the agricultural operation of the producer by—

“(A) improvements to irrigation systems;

“(B) enhancement of irrigation efficiencies;

“(C) conversion of the agricultural operation to—

“(i) the production of less water-intensive agricultural commodities; or

“(ii) dryland farming;

“(D) improvement of the storage of water through measures such as water banking and groundwater recharge;

“(E) enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat associated with irrigation systems, including pivot corners and areas with irregular boundaries; or

“(F) establishment of other measures, as determined by the Secretary, that improve groundwater and surface water conservation in agricultural operations.”.

(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking “; or” and inserting “; and”; and

(B) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as follows:

“(B) any associated water savings remain in the original source of such water for the useful life of the practice.”.

(3) DUTY OF PRODUCERS.—Section 1240B(h) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(h)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(3) DUTY OF PRODUCERS.—The Secretary may not provide payments to a producer for a water conservation or irrigation practice under this chapter unless the producer agrees not to use any associated water savings to bring new land, other than incidental land needed for efficient operations, under irrigated production, except where the producer is participating in a watershed-wide project that will effectively conserve water, as determined by the Secretary.”.

(2) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—Section 1240B(i)(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(i)(2)) is amended to read as follows:

“(2) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—As a condition for receiving payments under this subsection, a producer shall agree to develop and implement conservation practices for certified organic production that are consistent with the regulations promulgated under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) and the purposes of this chapter.”.

(A) by striking paragraph (3) and redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as paragraphs (5) and (6), respectively; and

(B) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new paragraphs:

“(3) COORDINATION WITH ORGANIC CERTIFICATION.—The Secretary shall establish a transparent means by which producers may initiate organic certification under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) while participating in a contract under this chapter.

“(4) PLANNING.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide planning assistance to producers transitioning to certified organic production consistent with the requirements of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) and the purposes of this chapter.

“(B) AVOIDANCE OF DUPLICATION.—The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, eliminate duplication of planning activities for a producer participating in a contract under this chapter and initiating or maintaining organic certification consistent with the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.).”.

(h) Payments for conservation practices related to antibiotic use.—Section 1240B of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(j) Payments for conservation practices related to antibiotic use.—

“(1) PAYMENTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary shall provide payments under this chapter to livestock producers for three years, to assist in a transition to modified animal management and production systems, for practices leading to the reduction in the need for antibiotics, including modification of systems and spaces to—

“(A) improve sanitation;

“(B) improve ventilation; or

“(C) support the implementation of improved animal management techniques at the operation.

“(2) DUTY OF PRODUCER.—The Secretary shall not make payments under this chapter for practices related to antibiotic use unless the producer agrees to provide information to the Secretary documenting the resulting reduction in antibiotic use in the operation of the producer.”.

(i) Payments for conservation practices related to pasture-Based production systems.—Section 1240B of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2), as amended by subsection (h), is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(k) Payments for conservation practices related to pasture-Based production systems.—

“(1) PAYMENTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary shall provide payments under this subsection for conservation practices, on some or all of the operations of a producer, related—

“(A) to pasture-based, production systems; or

“(B) to the transition to pasture-based production systems managed under an approved prescribed grazing plan in which animals are regularly and systematically moved to fresh pasture in such a way as to—

“(i) maximize the quantity and quality of forage growth;

“(ii) maximize the quality of soil fertility and tilth;

“(iii) improve manure distribution and nutrient cycling;

“(iv) increase the sequestration of carbon dioxide;

“(v) improve the quality and quantity of cover for wildlife and pollinators;

“(vi) provide permanent cover to protect the soil from erosion; and

“(vii) improve water quality and infiltration.

“(2) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—As a condition for receiving payments under this subsection, a producer shall agree to implement at least 3 practices and either—

“(A) develops and carries out a grazing management plan that includes intensive management rotational grazing; or

“(3) PAYMENT PRIORITIES.—In determining the amount and rate of payments under paragraph (2)(B), the Secretary may accord great significance to practices that—

“(A) improve the quality of soil fertility and tilth;

“(B) protect water quality;

“(C) increase the sequestration of carbon dioxide;

“(D) accelerate water infiltration; and

“(E) and expand pollinator habitat and protection.”.

(j) Comprehensive conservation planning.—Section 1240B of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2), as amended by subsection (i), is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(l) Comprehensive conservation planning.—The Secretary shall provide technical and financial assistance to producers under the program to develop a comprehensive conservation plan for the agricultural operation of the producer.”.

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking “achieving the anticipated conservation benefits of the project” and inserting “addressing priority resource concerns identified under subsection (d)”; and

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking “designated resource concern or resource concerns” and inserting “priority resource concerns identified under subsection (d), including, in the case of applications from nutrient-impacted watersheds, the degree to which nutrient loadings would be reduced as a result of the proposed project”.

(c) Grouping of applications.—Section 1240C(c) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–3(c)) is amended by striking “for evaluation purposes or otherwise evaluate applications relative to other applications for similar farming operations” and inserting “proposing to address the same priority resource concerns for evaluation purposes”.

(d) Priority resource concerns.—Section 1240C of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–3) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(d) Priority resource concerns.—For the purposes of this section, the Secretary shall identify priority resource concerns in a particular watershed or other appropriate region or area within a State.”.

“(a) Plan of operations.—To be eligible to receive payments under the program, a producer shall submit to the Secretary for approval a plan of operations that—

“(1) specifies the priority resource concerns to be addressed;

“(2) specifies the type, number, and sequencing of conservation systems, practices, or activities to be implemented to address the priority resource concerns;

“(3) includes such terms and conditions as the Secretary considers necessary to carry out the program, including a description of the purposes to be met by the implementation of the plan and a statement of how the plan will achieve or take significant steps toward achieving the relevant resource management system quality criteria, as determined by the Secretary;

“(4) in the case of a confined livestock feeding operation, provides for development and implementation of a comprehensive nutrient management plan, if applicable;

“(5) in the case of a producer located within a nutrient-impacted watershed, identifies methods by which the producer will limit nutrient loss; and

“(6) in the case of forest land, is consistent with the provisions of a forest management plan that is approved by the Secretary, which may include—

“(A) a forest stewardship plan described in section 5 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2103a);

Section 1240G of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–7) is amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 1240G. Limitation on payments.

“(a) Limitation on total payments.—Subject to subsection (b), a person or legal entity may not receive, directly or indirectly, cost-share or incentive payments under this chapter, in the aggregate, for all contracts entered into under this chapter by the person or entity (excluding funding arrangements with Indian tribes under this chapter), regardless of the number of contracts entered into under this chapter by the person or entity, that—

“(1) during any fiscal year exceed $30,000; and

“(2) during any five-year period exceed $150,000.

“(b) Waiver authority.—In the case of contracts under this chapter for projects of special environmental significance, as determined by the Secretary, the Secretary may waive the limitation otherwise applicable under subsection (a)(1).

“(c) Prevention of duplication.—The Secretary shall not approve a contract or provide payments to any individual for a practice that has already been paid for as part of a previously approved and completed contract for any particular parcel of land.”.

“(i) public health or quality of life through degradation of air or water quality; or

“(ii) natural resources, including soil, fish, and wildlife; and

“(B) is identified at the national, State, or local level as a priority for a particular area of a State.”;

(4) by redesignating paragraphs (6) and (7) as paragraphs (7) and (8), respectively;

(5) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:

“(6) DESIGNATED PRIORITY RESOURCE CONCERN.—The term ‘designated priority resource concern’ means 1 to 5 priority resource concerns identified by the Secretary that must be addressed by the program within a local watershed or specific natural resource boundary.”; and

(6) by amending paragraph (8), as redesignated by paragraph (4), to read as follows:

“(8) STEWARDSHIP THRESHOLD.—The term ‘stewardship threshold’ means the conservation activities, as determined by the Secretary, to comprehensively address a priority resource concern using—

“(A) conservation measurement tools;

“(B) the resource management system quality criteria for the particular priority resource concerns;

“(C) data from past and current program enrollments; and

“(D) other similar means to measure improvement and conservation of the priority resource concern.”.

“(a) Submission of contract offers.—To be eligible to participate in the conservation stewardship program, a producer shall submit to the Secretary a contract offer for the agricultural operation that demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the producer will meet or exceed the stewardship threshold for one or more designated priority resource concerns by the end of the contract period.”;

“(A) the level of conservation treatment on all applicable designated priority resource concerns at the time of application;

“(B) the number of designated priority resource concerns that meet or exceed the stewardship threshold at the end of the contract period;

“(C) the degree to which the proposed conservation activities effectively, efficiently, and comprehensively address the designated priority resource concerns;

“(D) the extent to which the contract offer will meet or exceed the stewardship threshold for one or more designated priority resource concerns at a lower cost relative to other similarly beneficial contract offers; and

“(E) the extent to which priority resource concerns will be addressed when transitioning from the conservation reserve program to agricultural production.

“(2) PROHIBITION.—The Secretary may not assign a higher priority to any application because the applicant is willing to accept a lower payment than the applicant would otherwise be eligible to receive.

“(3) ADDITIONAL CRITERIA.—The Secretary may develop and use such additional criteria that the Secretary determines are necessary to ensure that designated priority resource concerns are effectively and efficiently treated to meet or exceed the stewardship threshold.”;

(3) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:

“(c) Entering into contracts.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—After a determination that a producer is eligible for the program under subsection (a), and a determination that the contract offer ranks sufficiently high under the evaluation criteria under subsection (b), the Secretary shall enter into a conservation stewardship contract with the producer to enroll the eligible land to be covered by the contract.

“(2) FINANCIAL OBLIGATION.—Consistent with section 1238G(c)(4), a contract entered into under paragraph (1) shall not create an obligation for financial assistance until the first October 1 after the contract is entered into.”;

(4) in subsection (d)—

(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “5 years” and inserting “10 years”; and

(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “5-year” and inserting “10-year”; and

(B) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:

“(3) has met or exceeded, or agrees to meet or exceed, the stewardship threshold of all designated priority resource concerns identified for the region or area in which the land that is subject to the contract is located.”.

SEC. 224. Duties of the Secretary.

Section 1238G of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3838g) is amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 1238G. Duties of the Secretary.

“(a) In general.—To achieve the conservation goals of a contract under the conservation stewardship program, the Secretary shall—

“(1) make the program available to eligible producers on a continuous enrollment basis with one or more ranking periods, of which shall occur in the first quarter of each fiscal year;

“(2) identify not more than 5 designated priority resource concerns in a particular watershed or other appropriate region or area within a State;

“(3) for any region or area that includes any part of a nutrient-impacted watershed (as determined by the Secretary), ensure that one of the priority resource concerns identified under paragraph (2) is water pollution caused by excess nutrient loads;

“(4) develop reliable conservation measurement tools for purposes of carrying out the program; and

“(5) ensure that conservation measurement tools are transparent and available to producers by—

“(B) making conservation activity natural resource and environmental benefit scores available in an easy to understand format for study both before and during application; and

“(C) taking other steps, as determined by the Secretary.

“(b) Allocation to states.—The Secretary shall allocate acres to States for enrollment, based on each State’s proportion of eligible land to the total acreage of eligible land in all States as follows:

“(1) SOURCE WATER PROTECTION.—At least 20 percent of the funds made available for financial and technical assistance under the program shall be for contracts addressing designated priority resource concerns related to enhancing the quality and quantity of source water (as that term is used in the Safe Drinking Water Act).

“(2) PEST MANAGEMENT.—At least 20 percent of the funds made available for financial and technical assistance under the program shall be for contracts addressing designated priority resource concerns related to reducing the need for pesticides in agricultural production including organic farming systems and intensive integrated pest management.

“(3) SOIL CONSERVATION.—At least 20 percent of the funds made available for financial and technical assistance under the program shall be for contracts addressing designated priority resource concerns related to reducing soil erosion and improving soil fertility and tilth.

“(c) Conservation stewardship payments.—

“(1) AVAILABILITY OF PAYMENTS.—The Secretary shall provide annual payments under the program to compensate the producer for—

“(A) installing and adopting additional conservation activities that will meet or exceed the stewardship threshold for a designated priority resource concern; and

“(B) improving, maintaining, and managing conservation activities in place on the agricultural operation of the producer at the time the contract offer is accepted by the Secretary.

“(2) PAYMENT AMOUNT.—The amount of the annual payment shall be determined by the Secretary and based, to the maximum extent practicable, on the following factors:

“(D) The extent to which designated priority resource concerns will be addressed through the installation and adoption of conservation activities on the agricultural operation.

“(E) The level of stewardship in place at the time of application and maintained over the term of the contract.

“(F) The degree to which the conservation activities will be integrated across the entire agricultural operation for all designated priority resource concerns over the term of the contract.

“(G) Such other factors as are determined appropriate by the Secretary.

“(3) EXCLUSIONS.—A payment to a producer under this subsection shall not be provided for—

“(A) the design, construction, or maintenance of animal waste storage or treatment facilities or associated waste transport or transfer devices for animal feeding operations; or

“(B) conservation activities for which there is no cost incurred or income forgone to the producer.

“(4) DELIVERY OF PAYMENTS.—In making payments under this subsection, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable—

“(A) prorate conservation performance over the term of the contract so as to accommodate, to the extent practicable, producers earning equal annual payments in each fiscal year; and

“(B) make such payments as soon as practicable after October 1 of each fiscal year for activities carried out in the previous fiscal year.

“(5) MINIMUM PAYMENT.—If a contract requires a comprehensive conservation plan the implementation of which will, by the end of the contract term, meet or exceed the stewardship threshold for all designated priority resource concerns, the minimum payment shall be not less than $3,000.

“(i) resource-conserving crop rotations to achieve beneficial crop rotations as appropriate for the eligible land of the producers; or

“(ii) managed intensive rotational grazing; or

“(B) transition to organic crop or livestock systems.

“(2) BENEFICIAL CROP ROTATIONS.—The Secretary shall determine whether a resource-conserving crop rotation is a beneficial crop rotation eligible for additional payments under paragraph (1) based on whether the resource-conserving crop rotation is designed to address designated priority resource concerns while providing production benefits.

“(3) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a payment described in paragraph (1), a producer shall agree to adopt and maintain beneficial resource-conserving crop rotations for the term of the contract.

“(A) includes at least 1 resource conserving crop (as defined by the Secretary);

“(B) reduces erosion;

“(C) prevents pollution of surface water or groundwater;

“(D) improves soil fertility and tilth;

“(E) interrupts pest cycles; and

“(F) in applicable areas, reduces depletion of soil moisture or otherwise reduces the need for irrigation.

“(5) MANAGED INTENSIVE ROTATIONAL GRAZING.—In this subsection, the term ‘managed intensive rotational grazing’ means a system in which animals are regularly and systematically moved to fresh pasture in such a way as to—

“(A) maximize the quantity and quality of forage growth;

“(B) improve manure distribution and nutrient cycling;

“(C) increase carbon sequestration from greater forage harvest;

“(D) improve the quantity and quality of cover for wildlife;

“(E) provide permanent cover to protect the soil from erosion; and

“(F) improve water quality.

“(6) TRANSITION TO ORGANIC CROP OR LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS.—In this subsection, the term ‘transition to organic crop or livestock systems’ means adoption of conservation activities for certified organic production on land or for herds not previously certified organic that meet all the requirements of the program and that are consistent with the regulations promulgated under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.).

“(e) Payment limitation.—A person or legal entity may not receive, directly or indirectly, payments under the program that, in the aggregate, exceed $200,000 under all contracts entered into during any 5-year period, excluding funding arrangements with Indian tribes, regardless of the number of contracts entered into under the program by the person or legal entity.

“(f) Specialty crop and organic producers.—The Secretary shall ensure that outreach and technical assistance are available, and program specifications are appropriate to enable specialty crop and organic producers to participate in the program.

“(g) Coordination with organic certification.—The Secretary shall establish a transparent means by which producers may initiate organic certification under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) while participating in a contract under the program.

“(h) Regulations.—The Secretary shall promulgate regulations that—

“(1) prescribe such other rules as the Secretary determines to be necessary to ensure a fair and reasonable application of the limitations established under subsection (f); and

“(2) otherwise enable the Secretary to carry out the program.

“(i) Data.—The Secretary shall maintain detailed and segmented data on contracts and payments under the program to allow, at a minimum, with respect to each contract—

“(1) quantification of the type and extent of conservation activities for which payments were made;

“(2) quantification of the amount of payments made for—

“(A) the installation and adoption of additional conservation activities and improvements to conservation activities in place on the operation of a producer at the time the conservation stewardship offer is accepted by the Secretary; and

“(B) the maintenance of existing conservation activities; and

“(3) identification of the watershed and county in which the agricultural operation receiving payments is located.

“(2) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—As a condition for receiving payments under the program, a producer shall agree to develop and implement conservation activities for certified organic production that are consistent with the regulations promulgated under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) and the purposes of the program.

“(3) PLANNING.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide planning assistance to producers transitioning to certified organic production consistent with the requirements of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) and the purposes of this subchapter.

“(B) AVOIDANCE OF DUPLICATION.—The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, eliminate duplication of planning activities for a producer participating in a contract under this subchapter and initiating or maintaining organic certification consistent with the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.).”.

(a) Program purposes.—Section 1271(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3871(b)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking “use covered programs to”; and

(2) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following new paragraphs:

“(3) To encourage eligible partners to cooperate with producers in implementing projects that enhance and protect the health and quality of life of individuals in the United States by—

“(A) enhancing and protecting the quality and quantity of source water (as that term is used in the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.));

“(B) reducing the use of antibiotics and pesticides in crop and livestock production;

“(C) enhancing opportunities for natural-resource-based recreation by improving water quality and fish and wildlife habitat; and

“(D) addressing other opportunities to improve public health and quality of life, as determined by the Secretary.

“(4) To avoid, to the maximum extent practicable, the need for statutory and regulatory programs related to the conservation of natural resources by assisting producers in protecting soil, water, air, and related natural resources and in meeting environmental quality criteria established by Federal, State, tribal, and local governmental agencies.”.

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the following new subparagraph:

“(A) Water quality restoration or enhancement projects relating to the quality of surface water and groundwater used to supply drinking water by community water systems and domestic wells, including projects that—

“(i) improve the management of crops and livestock production systems to avoid or control runoff and leaching of farm chemicals and manure;

“(ii) change (including through diversifying) the agricultural practices, including crop rotations; and

“(iii) trap or capture pollutants before the pollutants enter surface water or ground water.”; and

(3) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (6) as paragraphs (1) through (5), respectively.

(c) Program agreements.—Section 1271B of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3871b) is amended—

(1) in subsection (b), by striking “a period not to exceed” and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting “a period of at least 10 years, but shall not exceed 15 years.”;

(2) in subsection (c)(1)—

(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (F) as subparagraphs (B) through (G);

(B) by inserting before subparagraph (B) (as so redesignated) the following new subparagraph:

“(A) complete natural resource and watershed assessments to effectively support planning and implementation of the proposed project that is the subject of the agreement;”; and

(1) in subsection (a), by striking “assistance to” and all that follows through “of an eligible partner.” and inserting the following: “assistance, under the programs under this subtitle, to producers proposing to implement conservation activities that meet the objectives of the partnership agreement entered into under section 1271B.”;

(2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following new subsection:

“(b) Alternative funding arrangements.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—For the purposes of providing assistance for land described in subsection (a) and section 1271F, the Secretary may enter into alternative funding arrangements with a multistate water resource agency or authority if—

“(A) the Secretary determines that the goals and objectives of the program will be met by the alternative funding arrangements;

“(B) the agency or authority certifies that the limitations established under this section on agreements with individual producers will not be exceeded; and

(1) in subsection (a), by striking “each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018” and inserting “fiscal year 2018 and $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023”;

(2) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:

“(c) Resource assessment, outreach, and monitoring.—Of the funds made available for the program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall allocate 10 percent to eligible partners to share the cost of implementing the duties under section 1271B(c).”; and

(3) in subsection (d), in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—

(A) by striking “and acres”; and

(B) by striking “and reserved for the program under subsection (c)”.

(f) Critical conservation areas.—Section 1271F(b)(1)(C) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3871f(b)(1)(C)) is amended by inserting “enhancing the quality of surface water and groundwater used to supply drinking water by community water systems (as defined in the Safe Drinking Water Act) and domestic wells,” after “sediment control,”.

(g) Effective date.—The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to partnership agreements entered into on or after October 1, 2018.

(A) EFFECT ON EXISTING CONTRACTS.—The amendment made by this subsection shall not affect the validity or terms of any contract entered into by the Secretary of Agriculture under section 1240H of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–8) before October 1, 2018, or any payments required to be made in connection with the contract.

(B) FUNDING.—The Secretary may use funds made available to carry out conservation innovation grants and payments under section 1240S of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985, as added by subsection (b) of this section, to continue to carry out contracts referred to in subparagraph (A) using the provisions of law and regulation applicable to such contracts as they existed on September 30, 2018.

(b) Conservation innovation grant program.—Chapter 5 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839bb et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

“SEC. 1240S. Conservation innovation grant program.

“(a) Competitive grants for innovative conservation approaches.—The Secretary shall, for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, carry out a conservation innovation grant program to encourage innovation in conservation on private farmland, rangeland, wetlands, grasslands, and forest lands.

“(b) Use.—The Secretary shall provide grants under this section to governmental and nongovernmental organizations and persons, on a competitive basis, to carry out projects that—

“(1) develop and test innovative and cost-effective technologies and practices and methods of conservation delivery to address priority resource concerns;

“(2) involve producers who are eligible for payments or technical assistance under this title;

“(3) leverage Federal funds made available to carry out this section with matching funds provided by State and local governments and private organizations to promote environmental enhancement and protection in conjunction with agricultural production;

“(4) ensure efficient and effective transfer of innovative technologies and approaches demonstrated through projects that receive funding under this subsection, such as market systems for pollution reduction and practices for the storage of carbon in soil;

“(c) Evaluation criteria.—The Secretary shall develop criteria for evaluating applications for competitive grants under this section that will ensure that priority resource concerns are effectively addressed.”.

SEC. 242. Conservation loan and loan guarantee program.

Subtitle E of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

“SEC. 1246. Conservation loan and loan guarantee program.

“(a) In general.—The Secretary may make or guarantee qualified conservation loans to eligible borrowers under this section.

“(b) Definitions.—In this section:

“(1) QUALIFIED CONSERVATION LOAN.—The term ‘qualified conservation loan’ means a loan, the proceeds of which are used to cover the costs to the borrower of carrying out a qualified conservation project.

“(2) owners or tenants who use the loans to convert to sustainable or organic agricultural production systems;

“(3) producers who use the loans to build conservation structures or establish conservation practices to implement a comprehensive conservation plan;

“(4) projects that will do the most to address priority resource concerns, as specified in a conservation loan plan; and

“(5) projects that are designed to help producers comply with, or avoid the need for, local, State, or Federal regulation.

“(e) Limitations applicable to loan guarantees.—The portion of a qualified conservation loan that the Secretary may guarantee under this section shall be not more than 90 percent of the principal amount of the loan.

“(f) Administrative provisions.—

“(1) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—The Secretary shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that qualified conservation loans made or guaranteed under this section are distributed across diverse geographic regions, while still prioritizing qualified conservation projects with the greatest conservation or environmental benefit.

“(2) AGENCY COOPERATION.—The Secretary shall ensure proper cooperation between the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which shall review and approve comprehensive loan plans and provide technical assistance for qualified conservation projects, and the Farm Service Agency, which will approve and issue loans and loan guarantees under this section.

“(3) INTEREST RATES.—The Secretary shall ensure that a loan made under this section is made at or below market rate.”.

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than January 1, 2020, the Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of the Interior, shall establish and implement a program to identify all major source categories of associated emissions and collect data on associated emissions from the production of agricultural commodities and their food products in the United States, including—

(A) emissions of greenhouse gases from the livestock industry, including from concentrated animal feeding operations, as defined by the Secretary; and

(B) emissions of greenhouse gases from the production of commodity and specialty crops, including the tilling of soil, and the use of synthetic fertilizer.

(2) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 12 months after the date that the Secretary implements the program described in paragraph (1), and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall issue a report, to be made available to the public and the appropriate committees of Congress, on associated emissions, including—

(A) identification of all major source categories of associated emissions;

(B) the total amount, expressed in tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, of—

(i) carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases emitted through transportation of agriculture products to market within the United States during the preceding calendar year;

(ii) carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases emitted through the rearing, raising, slaughter, and processing of poultry and livestock products in the United States, including those carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases emitted by manure management systems;

(iii) carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases emitted by the use of fertilizer in the production of commodity and specialty crops; and

(iv) carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases emitted by the tillage of soil in the production of commodity and specialty crops; and

(C) identification of all major agricultural practices that can reduce the emission of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases, including—

(i) the use of cover crops;

(ii) the reduction and elimination of soil tillage, the successive planting of different crops on the same land, and other soil management practices;

(iii) the use of rotational grazing on pasture for livestock;

(iv) the use of anaerobic digesters to process organic material;

(v) the use of buffer crops to reduce soil erosion; and

(vi) other practices that can yield significant reductions in the emission of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases by producers of agricultural commodities and their food products.

(b) Definitions.—For purposes of this section:

(1) GREENHOUSE GAS.—The term “greenhouse gas” has the meaning given such term under section 211(o)(1)(G) of the Clean Air Act, as in effect on the date of the enactment of the Food and Farm Act.

(2) UNITED STATES.—The term “United States” has the meaning given such term under section 5911(a)(4) of title 5, United States Code, as in effect on the date of the enactment of the Food and Farm Act.

SEC. 252. Authorization of appropriations.

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subtitle such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.

(a) In general.—Section 1241(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(a)) is amended to read as follows:

“(a) Annual funding.—For each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, the Secretary shall use the funds, facilities, and authorities of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out the following programs under this title (including the provision of technical assistance):

“(1) The conservation reserve program under subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D, including, to the maximum extent practicable—

“(A) $20,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2023 to provide payments under section 1234(c); and

“(B) $66,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2023 to carry out section 1235(f) to facilitate the transfer of land subject to contracts from retired or retiring owners and operators to beginning farmers or ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers.

“(2) The agricultural conservation easement program under subtitle H, using, to the maximum extent practicable, $810,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.

“(3) The conservation security program under subchapter A of chapter 2 of subtitle D, using such sums as are necessary to administer contracts entered into before September 30, 2008.

“(4) The conservation stewardship program under subchapter B of chapter 2 of subtitle D.

“(5) The environmental quality incentives program under chapter 4 of subtitle D, using, to the maximum extent practicable, $3,200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.

“(6) The conservation innovation grant program under section 1240S, using, to the maximum extent practicable, $100,000,000 for each fiscal year.

“(7) The conservation loan and loan guarantee program under section 1246, using, to the maximum extent practicable, for each fiscal year—

(1) by redesignating subsections (b) through (i) as subsections (c) through (j), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:

“(b) Availability of funds.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), amounts made available by subsection (a) shall be used by the Secretary to carry out the programs specified in such subsection for fiscal years 2019 through 2023 and shall remain available until expended. Amounts made available for the programs specified in such subsection during a fiscal year through modifications, cancellations, terminations, and other related administrative actions and not obligated in that fiscal year shall remain available for obligation during subsequent fiscal years, but shall reduce the amount of additional funds made available in the subsequent fiscal year by an amount equal to the amount remaining unobligated.

“(2) CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANT PROGRAM.—Amounts made available by subsection (a)(6) for a fiscal year and not obligated in that fiscal year shall be made available for the environmental quality incentives program under chapter 4 of subtitle D, and shall remain available until expended.”.

(c) Assistance to certain farmers or ranchers for conservation access.—Section 1241(i) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (as redesignated by subsection (b)) is amended, in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking “2018” and inserting “2023”.

(A) by inserting “, to build and sustain mid-tier value chain coordination” after “quality jobs”; and

(B) by inserting “and local and regional food supply networks” after “healthy food retailers”; and

(2) in subsection (c)(2)—

(A) in subparagraph (B)—

(i) by striking “and” at the end of clause (i);

(ii) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii); and

(iii) by inserting after clause (ii) the following new clause:

“(ii) to link farmers, ranchers, and fisheries with local and regional food supply networks moving agricultural products of mid-tier value chains to consumers in underserved areas with moderate- and low-income populations; and”; and

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (7) as paragraphs (4) through (8), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new paragraph:

“(3) MID-TIER VALUE CHAIN.—The term ‘mid-tier value chain’ has the meaning given the term in section 231 of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 (7 U.S.C. 1632a).”.

(c) Availability of mandatory funding.—Subsection (d) of section 243 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6953) is amended to read as follows:

“(d) Funding.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out the Initiative $25,000,000, to remain available until expended, for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.”.

SEC. 402. Helping schools serve healthier meals.

Section 6(f) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1755(f)) is amended—

(1) in the subsection heading, by striking “pilot project for procurement of unprocessed fruits and vegetables” and inserting “Program for procurement of unprocessed fruits and vegetables”;

(2) by striking “pilot project” each place it appears and inserting “program”;

(3) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:

“(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall facilitate the procurement of unprocessed fruits and vegetables in not fewer than 15 States receiving funds under this Act.”; and

(4) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(6) FUNDING.—

“(A) MANDATORY FUNDING.—There is appropriated to carry out this section, including through the provision of technical assistance, outreach, and other implementation assistance, $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.

“(B) RESERVATION.—Of the funds appropriated under subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year, $6,000,000 shall be used to carry out technical assistance to eligible vendors to become certified to participate in the program under this section.”.

SEC. 403. Strengthening the food and agriculture service learning program.

(1) subsection (b)(4), by inserting “, to promote agricultural education, and raise awareness about the consequences of wasted food and encourage the implementation of food recovery initiatives to reduce the quantity of wasted food” before the semicolon;

(ii) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

“(E) have the capacity to execute regional or national projects that include 2 or more States.”; and

(B) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(3) RESERVATION.—The majority of the funds made available to carry out this subsection shall be reserved for projects that—

“(A) are larger in scale as compared to other proposed projects;

“(B) are national or regional in scope; and

“(C) include 2 or more States.”; and

(3) in subsection (e)(1), by striking the paragraph and inserting in its place the following new paragraph:

“(1) MANDATORY FUNDING.—Of the funds available to the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023 to carry out the Initiative. Amounts made available under this subsection shall remain available until expended.”.

SEC. 404. Harvesting health program.

(a) In general.—The Secretary Agriculture shall, in coordination with other Federal agencies, award grants to eligible entities to conduct pilot projects to demonstrate and evaluate the impact of produce prescription programs for low-income individuals and households.

(b) Purpose.—The purpose of the pilot projects required under this section is to demonstrate and evaluate the impact of produce prescription programs in areas with poverty and households with diet-related health issues with respect to the following:

(1) The reduction of individual and household food insecurity.

(2) The support for local and regional agriculture and economic development.

(3) The increased domestic consumption of produce.

(4) The reduction in health care use and associated costs.

(c) Eligible entity.—In this section, the term “eligible entity” means—

(3) a local or State government agency, in partnership with any of the entities described in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (1); and

(4) any of the entities described in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (1), in partnership with an—

(A) emergency feeding organization;

(B) entity described in paragraph (2); or

(C) a local or State government agency.

(d) Demonstration project.—To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall submit an application, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including—

(1) a description of methods for how the produce prescription program would be targeted to low-income individuals and households with existing diet-related health issues;

(2) a description and plan for the screening and recruitment of low-income individuals and households with existing diet-related health issues;

(3) a description of plans for the evaluation of program participants and partners focused on purposes described under subsection (b);

(4) a description of plans for the inclusion of nutrition education opportunities for program participants;

(5) a description of the program partnerships and the role of each partner in implementing and evaluating an effective program;

(6) documentation of the necessary partnership agreements with the relevant State Medicaid agency or other appropriate entity for the purpose of evaluating the programs effectiveness in reducing health care use and associated costs; and

(7) data as requested by the Secretary for purposes of analyzing the impact of the project.

(e) Evaluation.—In carrying out this section, the Secretary may enter into memorandums of understanding with Federal and States agencies and private partners to ensure the effective implementation and evaluation of the program.

(f) Produce prescription program defined.—In this section, the term “produce prescription program” means a program—

(1) under which fresh fruits and vegetables are prescribed to individuals or households who are at-risk due to health status or income; and

(2) that may provide—

(A) financial incentives for individuals described in paragraph (1) to purchase fruits and vegetables;

(1) MANDATORY FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this section $10,000,000, to remain available until expended, for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.

(2) DISCRETIONARY FUNDING.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.

(1) to support the participation of farmers’ markets in the supplemental nutrition assistance program by providing equipment and support grants to new markets and those currently participating in the program;

(2) to increase access to the supplemental nutrition assistance program and participation at farmers’ markets by households that receive program benefits; and

(3) to support the establishment, expansion, and promotion of electronic benefits transfer services at farmers’ markets for the acceptance of program benefits.

(b) Establishment of grant program.—To carry out the purposes of this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall establish a program to make grants each fiscal year to eligible entities to conduct tasks that are necessary for the supplemental nutrition assistance program to operate at farmers’ markets, and to increase the frequency and effectiveness of farmers’ market participation in the supplemental nutrition assistance program.

(B) by redesignating subsections (n) through (t) as subsections (o) through (u), respectively; and

(C) by inserting after subsection (m) the following:

“(n) ‘Low-cost food plan’ means the diet required to feed a family of four persons, consisting of a man and a woman nineteen through fifty, a child six through eight, and a child nine through eleven years of age, determined in accordance with the Secretary’s calculations. The cost of such diet shall be the basis for uniform allotments for all households regardless of their actual composition, except that the Secretary shall—

“(1) make household-size adjustments (based on the unrounded cost of such diet) taking into account economies of scale;

“(2) make cost adjustments in the low-cost food plan for Hawaii and the urban and rural parts of Alaska to reflect the cost of food in Hawaii and urban and rural Alaska;

“(3) make cost adjustments in the separate low-cost food plans for Guam, and the Virgin Islands of the United States, to reflect the cost of food in those States, but not to exceed the cost of food in the 50 States and the District of Columbia; and

“(4) on October 1, 2018, and each October 1 thereafter, adjust the cost of the diet to reflect the cost of the diet in the preceding June, and round the result to the nearest lower dollar increment for each household size.”;

(i) by striking “each fiscal year thereafter” and inserting “each of the fiscal years 2004 through 2018”; and

(ii) by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

“(iii) for fiscal year 2019, $2,650,000,000; and

“(iv) subject to the availability of appropriations under section 18(a), for fiscal year 2019 and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount determined under clause (iii), as adjusted by the percentage by which the low-cost food plan has been adjusted under section 3(n)(4) between June 30, 2019, and June 30 of the immediately preceding fiscal year.”.

(1) in subparagraph (A) by striking “an excess medical” and all that follows through the period at the end, and inserting “a standard medical deduction or to a medical expense deduction of actual costs for the allowable medical expenses incurred by the elderly or disabled member, exclusive of special diets.”; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

“(D) The standard medical expense deduction shall be equal to $140 for fiscal year 2019, and for each subsequent fiscal year shall be equal to the applicable amount for the preceding fiscal year as adjusted to reflect changes for the 12-month period ending the preceding June 30 in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Medical Care published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor, except that for any such fiscal year the State agency may establish a greater standard medical expense deduction that satisfies cost neutrality standards established by the Secretary for such fiscal year.”.

(c) Elimination of cap of excess shelter expenses.—Section 5(e)(6) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2014(e)(6)) is amended—

(1) by striking subparagraph (B); and

(2) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) and (D) as subparagraphs (B) and (C), respectively.

(d) Work requirement.—Section 6(o)(3) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(o)(3)) is amended—

(1) in subparagraph (D) by striking “or” at the end;

(2) in subparagraph (E) by striking the period at the end and inserting “; or”; and

(3) by adding at end the following:

“(F) not offered a position in a program described in subparagraph (B) or (C) of paragraph (2).”.

(e) Funding of employment and training programs.—Section 16(h)(1)(E)(ii)(II) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025(h)(1)(E)(ii)(II)) is amended by inserting “subparagraphs (A) through (E) of” after “under”.

Section 226 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6932) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(i) Beginning farmers and ranchers liaison.—

“(1) POSITION ESTABLISHED.—The Secretary shall establish within each State office of the Consolidated Farm Service Agency the position of Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Liaison to carry out the duties described in paragraph (2).

“(2) DUTIES.—The Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Liaison shall—

“(A) provide technical assistance to beginning farmers and ranchers to direct such farmers and ranchers toward appropriate Federal resources and opportunities, including available Federal grant programs; and

“(B) promote coordination among Federal programs available to beginning farmers and ranchers.”.

“(A) establish and maintain one accurate, current, and unbiased database of resources to help farmers undertaking succession planning; and

“(B) coordinate with Federal, State, and private stakeholders, including land-grant colleges and universities and extension service, to understand farmer and rancher needs in each state within the respective regions, and to work with these stakeholders to provide farmers and ranchers information regarding relevant succession planning resources and opportunities based on those needs.”.

SEC. 517. Ensuring a vibrant agricultural sector through the creation of a land tenure commission.

(a) Establishment.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall establish a commission to be known as the Land Tenure Commission (in this section referred to as the “Commission”).

(b) Membership.—

(1) TOTAL MEMBERSHIP.—The Commission shall be comprised of 10 members who shall be appointed by the Secretary for a term of 3 years in accordance with paragraph (2).

(2) MEMBERS.—The Commission members shall include one representative from each the following categories:

(A) The Farm Service Agency.

(B) The Natural Resources Conservation Service.

(C) State programs focused on land tenure.

(D) Private nonprofit organizations with active land tenure programs.

(E) The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.

(F) Community colleges or other institutions of higher education with demonstrated experience in land tenure issues.

(3) REAPPOINTMENT.—The Secretary of Agriculture may reappoint members of the Commission to a subsequent 3-year term.

(4) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Commission may not receive any compensation.

(5) VACANCIES.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall make appointments to fill vacancies on the Commission as soon as practicable after the vacancy has occurred.

(c) Duties.—The Commission shall—

(1) advise the Secretary of Agriculture on issues involving access to land, farm business transition, and land tenure, including trends in ownership and the status of farmland ownership;

(2) with respect to the Commission’s activities, coordinate and consult with entities involved with farmland ownership and operation;

(3) appoint technical advisors, comprised of representatives from the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the Department of Agriculture, not-for-profit organizations that assist farmers and ranchers transitioning in and out of agricultural business, and farm succession planners with expertise in the field; and

(a) In general.—Subpart B of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

“SEC. 30E. Eligible farmer credits.

“(a) Eligible farmer property sale credit.—In the case of a taxpayer who sells qualified farming property to an eligible farmer during the taxable year, there shall be allowed as a credit against the tax imposed by this chapter for such taxable year an amount equal to 10 percent of the sales price of such property.

“(b) Eligible farmer property purchase credit.—In the case of a taxpayer who is an eligible farmer and purchases qualified farming property during the taxable year, there shall be allowed as a credit against the tax imposed by this chapter for the taxable year an amount equal 10 percent of the purchase price of such property.

“(c) Definitions.—

“(1) ELIGIBLE FARMER.—For purposes of this section—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘eligible farmer’ means—

“(i) any socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher, as defined in section 2501(e)(2) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e)(2)),

“(ii) any veteran farmer or rancher (as defined in section 2501(e)(7) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2279(e)(7))), or

“(iii) any beginning farmer or rancher.

“(B) BEGINNING FARMER OR RANCHER.—

“(i) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘beginning farmer or rancher’ means an individual or entity who—

“(I) has not operated a farm or ranch, or who has operated a farm or ranch for not more than 10 consecutive years, and

“(II) will materially and substantially participate in the operation of the farm or ranch.

“(ii) MATERIAL AND SUBSTANTIAL PARTICIPATION.—For purposes of clause (i), the term ‘material and substantial participation’ means—

“(I) in the case of an individual, that the individual provides substantial day-to-day labor and management of the farm or ranch, consistent with the practices in the county or State where the farm is located, and

“(II) in the case of an entity, that all shareholders, holders of a capital or profits interest in the case of a partnership, or holders of a beneficial interest in the case of a trust or cooperative provide some amount of the management or labor necessary for day-to-day activities such that if each of the members did not provide these inputs, operation of the farm or ranch would be seriously impaired.

“(iii) PREDECESSOR.—Any predecessor of any entity shall be treated as such entity for purposes of clause (i)(I).

“(iv) AGGREGATION RULES.—All persons which are treated as a single employer under subsections (a) and (b) of section 52 shall be treated as a single employer for purposes of this subparagraph.

“(2) QUALIFIED FARMING PROPERTY.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘qualified farming property’ means any property—

“(i) which is used in the trade or business of farming or ranching in the United States, and

“(ii) which is—

“(I) property of a character subject to an allowance for depreciation, or

“(II) land used for the production of crops, fruits, or other agricultural products or for the sustenance of livestock.

In the case of any tree, vine, or livestock which is not subject to an allowance for depreciation
solely by reason of not having reached the income-producing stage or age
of maturity, as the case may be, such tree, vine, or livestock shall be
treated as property of a character subject to an allowance for
depreciation for purposes of this section.

“(B) LAND USE MUST BE RESTRICTED AGRICULTURAL USE.—Such term shall not include any land which is not subject to a State agricultural land preservation program, permanent agricultural conservation easement, is not valued as agricultural land using special use valuation requirements, or is not under another long-term or permanent protection.

“(d) Special rules.—

“(1) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—No credit shall be allowed to a taxpayer under this section unless, at such time and in such form and manner as the Secretary shall prescribe—

“(A) there is submitted to the Secretary a description of the qualified farming property with respect to which the credit under this section is determined,

“(B) the eligible farmer submits to the Secretary an attestation of intent to treat such property as qualified farming property during the 8-year period beginning on the date of the sale or purchase to which this section applies, and

“(C) the taxpayer who sells such property in the case of any credit determined under subsection (a), and the eligible farmer who purchases such property in the case of any credit determined under subsection (b), submits to the Secretary an agreement consenting to the application of paragraph (2).

“(2) RECAPTURE.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—If any property with respect to which a credit is allowed under this section ceases to be qualified farming property during the 8-year period beginning on the date of the sale or purchase to which this section applies, the tax imposed by this chapter for the taxable year during which such property so ceases shall be increased by the applicable percentage of the amount of credit allowed under this section with respect to such property.

“(B) APPLICABLE PERCENTAGE.—For purposes of this paragraph, in the case of property which ceases to be qualified farming property during the 8-year period, the applicable percentage shall be determined under the following table:

“For property which so ceases during:

The applicable percentage is:

The first or second year

100 percent

The third or fourth year

75 percent

The fifth or sixth year

50 percent

The seventh or eighth year

25 percent.

“(C) PROPERTY BEYOND ACTUAL USEFUL LIFE.—For purposes of this paragraph, property which, during such 8-year period, is no longer capable of being used in the trade or business of farming shall be treated as ceasing to be qualified farming property.

“(3) RELATED PARTY RULES.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—A sale or purchase shall only be taken into account under this section if the property is not acquired from a person related to the person acquiring such property (or, if married, such individual’s spouse).

“(B) RELATED PERSONS.—A person shall be treated as related to another person if the relationship between such persons would result in the disallowance of losses under section 267 or 707(b).

“(4) APPLICATION WITH OTHER CREDITS.—

“(A) BUSINESS CREDIT TREATED AS PART OF GENERAL BUSINESS CREDIT.—So much of the credit which would be allowed under this section for any taxable year (determined without regard to this paragraph) that is attributable to property that is land used in a trade or business of the taxpayer, or that in the hands of the taxpayer is of a character subject to an allowance for depreciation, shall be treated as a credit listed in section 38(b) for such taxable year (and not allowed under this section).

“(B) PERSONAL CREDIT.—The credit allowed under subsection (a) (after the application of paragraph (1)) for any taxable year shall be treated as a credit allowable under subpart A for such taxable year.

“(5) REDUCTION IN BASIS.—For purposes of this subtitle, the basis of any property for which a credit is allowable under this section shall be reduced by the amount of such credit so allowed.”.

(b) Conforming amendment.—Section 38(b) of such Code is amended by striking “plus” at the end of paragraph (35), by striking the period at the end of paragraph (36) and inserting “, plus”, and by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(37) the portion of the eligible farmer credit to which section 30E(d)(3)(A) applies.”.

(c) Clerical amendment.—The table of sections for subpart B of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

“Sec. 30E. Eligible farmer credits.”.

(d) Effective date.—The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2018.

Section 316(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1946(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(3) LOANS TO COOPERATIVES.—Notwithstanding subtitle A or this subtitle, the liability for a farm ownership loan or farm operating loan under such subtitles to a cooperative of family farm farmers shall be required to attach to the individual members of the cooperative, as determined by the Secretary.”.

(1) Up to 40 percent of food in the United States is wasted, the equivalent of 1,250 calories per person, per day, and more than 400 pounds of food per person, per year.

(2) Growing, processing, transporting, and disposing of uneaten food is a significant burden on the United States economy, costing approximately $218,000,000,000 annually.

(3) Considerable resources in the United States are invested in the production of food that is eventually wasted, including an estimated 18 percent of fertilizer used in agricultural production, 19 percent of crop land, and 21 percent of agricultural water usage.

(4) Growing, processing, transporting, and disposing of food that is eventually wasted contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

(5) Disposing of uneaten food costs the average household of four in the United States an estimated $1,800 annually.

(b) Sense of Congress.—In light of the findings made in subsection (a), it is the sense of Congress that the Federal Government should invest in programs, methodologies, and actions to reduce food waste across the United States at the Federal, State, and local levels, including by—

(1) providing targeted funding for food waste solutions;

(2) improving and standardizing the measurement and reporting of food waste data;

(3) standardizing food date labels;

(4) removing barriers to food donation;

(5) supporting and encouraging local and regional efforts to reduce food waste; and

(6) engaging and educating the American public on how to reduce food waste.

SEC. 602. Establishment of Office of Food Waste.

Subtitle D of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6951 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

“SEC. 244. Office of Food Waste.

“(a) Establishment.—The Secretary shall establish within the executive operations of the Department an office to be known as the ‘Office of Food Waste’.

“(b) Responsibilities.—The Office of Food Waste shall be responsible—

“(1) for coordinating Federal programs to measure and reduce the incidence of food waste in the United States by serving as the central office within the Department for food waste reduction efforts, including food waste prevention, food donation, recovery of surplus food for commercial purposes, and food scrap recycling;

“(2) for providing information about and raising awareness of food waste issues across sectors of the United States economy and across Federal agencies; and

“(3) for serving as the primary point of contact for food waste reduction and food recovery issues within the Department and across Federal agencies.

“(c) Funding.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this section $100,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.”.

SEC. 603. Establishment of food loss and waste reduction task force.

Subtitle D of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6951 et seq.) is further amended by inserting after section 244, as added by section 602, the following new section:

“SEC. 245. Food loss and waste reduction task force.

“(a) In general.—Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall establish, in the office of the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, a task force—

“(1) to advise and support the Secretary and the Administrator in meeting the national food waste reduction goal of 50 percent by 2030, as specified in the announcement made on September 16, 2015, by the Secretary and the Administrator;

“(2) to provide strategic direction for efforts to meet the national food waste reduction goal;

“(4) to support effective public reporting in the United States regarding progress toward meeting the national food waste reduction goal and any relevant benchmarks in meeting such goal;

“(5) to raise public awareness and visibility of the national food waste reduction goal in the United States; and

“(6) to recommend improvements to Federal efforts to meet the national food waste reduction goal.

“(b) Composition.—The task force shall be composed of 15 members, appointed jointly by the Secretary and the Administrator. The task force shall include a representative from each of the following industries and interest groups:

“(14) A State or local government with a food waste reduction program.

“(15) A scientist who specializes in the science of food scrap recycling and other relevant scientific processes.

“(c) Terms.—A member of the task force shall serve on the task force for a single term of 3 years. A member may not be reappointed. Any vacancy shall be filled within 60 days in the same manner as the original appointment.”.

SEC. 604. Standardizing, aggregating, and publishing food waste data.

(a) Methodology for measuring food waste.—Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall establish, through a rule made in accordance with section 553 of title 5, United States Code, a standardized methodology for consistently measuring food waste in the United States economy, such as—

(1) on-farm losses during agricultural production and harvesting;

(2) losses during processing and distribution;

(3) kitchen waste and post-consumer waste from the restaurant and hospitality industries;

(4) food waste occurring in schools and other institutions; and

(5) food waste occurring in other industries.

(b) Methodology for aggregating and disseminating data .—The methodology established under subsection (a) shall include aggregating and disseminating any data or information collected with respect to food waste. The methodology shall incorporate tools for describing why food waste occurs and the type of food wasted and take into account existing protocols and tools that may serve as resources.

(c) Public availability of data.—Information collected with respect to food waste shall be made available through a publicly accessible internet website of the Department of Agriculture, which may be disaggregated by private sector and State or local government data.

(d) Consultation.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall carry out this section in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Section 2 of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157) is amended—

(1) in subsection (b)—

(A) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

“(G) PLANT AND ANIMAL BREEDING.—

“(i) IN GENERAL.—Classical animal and plant breeding—

“(I) intended to deliver public plant cultivars and animal breeds;

“(II) to achieve germplasm conservation; and

“(III) to improve public access and use of such cultivars and breeds.

“(ii) PRIORITY.—With respect to the breeding described in clause (i), the Secretary shall give priority to—

“(I) regionally-adapted cultivars and breeds; and

“(II) breeds that perform well in organic and sustainable production systems.”;

(B) in paragraph (7), by inserting “, including nonprofit organizations, private laboratories, Federal research entities, and other research entities not affiliated with a university” after “organizations”;

(C) by striking paragraph (9); and

(D) in paragraph (11)(A)—

(i) by striking “$700,000,000” and inserting “$900,000,000”; and

(ii) by striking “2018” and inserting “2023”; and

(2) in subsection (k)—

(A) in the heading, by inserting “and climate change mitigation and adaptation” after “agriculture”; and

(A) by inserting “and improve the resiliency of such crops towards global climate change” after “crop characteristics”; and

(B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting “, with priority given to responses and tolerances to global climate change” after “tolerances”; and

(2) in paragraph (2), by inserting “and threats due to global climate change” after “pollinators”.

(b) Mandatory funding.—Section 412(k)(1)(B) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632(k)(1)(B)) is amended by striking “$80,000,000 for fiscal year 2014 and each fiscal year thereafter” and inserting “$80,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018 and $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2019 and each fiscal year thereafter”.

(B) The standards include, at a minimum, provisions for space allowance, environmental enrichment and ability to engage in natural behaviors, pain control and physical alternations, handling, and responsible antibiotic use.

(C) Routine caging, crating or tethering of animals is prohibited.

(D) Auditors have no vested or financial interest in audit outcomes.

(E) Auditors possess a background in animal welfare science or have received equivalent training, and are able to recognize, review, and apply established farm animal welfare standards and protocols.

SEC. 802. Requiring the issuance of the final rule for setting production standards for organic livestock and poultry without amendment.

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall implement, without amendment, the final rule entitled “National Organic Program (NOP); Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices” and published in the Federal Register by the Department of Agriculture on January 19, 2017 (82 Fed. Reg. 7042).

(a) In general.—The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Agricultural Marketing Service, shall establish a cost-share program to assist producers and handlers of livestock and poultry products in obtaining and maintaining animal welfare certifications through an independent animal welfare certification program.

(b) Federal share.—The Secretary may cover not more than 75 percent of the eligible costs, but not to exceed $750, incurred by a producer or handler in obtaining and maintaining an animal welfare certification through an independent animal welfare certification program.

(c) Reporting requirements.—Not later than March 1 of each year, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that describes the requests by, disbursements to, and expenditures for each State under the program during the current and previous fiscal year, including the number of producers and handlers served by the program in the previous fiscal year.

(d) Funding.—

(1) MANDATORY FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall make available to carry out this section $1,250,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2023, to remain available until expended.

(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated $22,000,000 for fiscal years 2019 through 2023 to carry out this section.

(1) in the first sentence, by striking “Any” and inserting the following:

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (3), any Federal research facility or any other”;

(2) in the second sentence, by striking “Any” and inserting the following:

“(2) ANIMAL EXHIBITION.—Any”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(3) EXCLUSIONS NOT APPLICABLE.—For purposes of the application of standards and other requirements described in paragraph (1) to a Federal research facility or any other department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States having laboratory animal facilities, the exclusions contained in section 2(g)(3) shall not apply.”.

SEC. 812. Establishing a research and extension program for humanely raised livestock and poultry
certifications.

(b) Independent animal welfare certification program defined.—Section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(21) INDEPENDENT ANIMAL WELFARE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM.—The term ‘Independent animal welfare certification program’ has the meaning given that term in section 801(1) of the Food and Farm Act”..”.

(c) Federal-State partnership and coordination.—Section 1409A of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3124a) is amended—

(d) Animal well-Being research.—The heading of subtitle E of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (title XIV of Public Law 93–113) is amended to read as follows:

“subtitle E—Animal Health, Well-Being, and Disease Research”.

(e) Authorizing the Secretary To Act.—Section 1431(b)(2) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3193(b)(2)) is amended—

(1) by striking “and” at the end of subparagraph (B);

(2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (C), and inserting “; and”; and

(a) Maintenance of information.—Beginning not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall maintain information relating to the administration of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.) and the Horse Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1821 et seq.), including the following:

(1) The entirety of each report of any inspection conducted, and record of any enforcement action taken, under—

(A) the Animal Welfare Act or the Horse Protection Act; and

(B) any regulation issued under those Acts.

(2) With respect to the Animal Welfare Act—

(A) the entirety of each annual report submitted by a research facility under section 13 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 2143); and

(B) the name, address, and license or registration number of each research facility, exhibitor, dealer, and other person or establishment—

(i) licensed by the Secretary under section 3 or 12 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 2133, 2142); or

(ii) registered with the Secretary under section 6 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 2136).

(3) With respect to the Horse Protection Act, the name and address of—

(A) any person that is licensed to conduct any inspection under section 4(c) of that Act (15 U.S.C. 1823(c)); or

(B) any organization or association that is licensed by the Department of Agriculture to promote horses through—

(i) the showing, exhibiting, sale, auction, or registry of horses; or

(ii) the conduct of any activity that contributes to the advancement of horses.

(b) Public availability of information.—The information required to be maintained under subsection (a) shall promptly be made available to the public in an online searchable database in a machine-readable format on the website of the Department of Agriculture.

SEC. 822. Prohibiting the trade of dog and cat meat.

The Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

“SEC. 30. Prohibition of slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption.

“(b) Penalty.—Any person who violates this section shall be subject to imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or a fine of not more than $2,500, or both.

“(c) Scope.—Subsection (a) shall apply only with respect to conduct in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.

“(d) Conflict with State law.—This section shall not be construed to limit any State or local law or regulations protecting the welfare of animals or to prevent a State or local governing body from adopting and enforcing animal welfare laws and regulations that are more stringent than this section.”.

(1) Local and regional food systems provide jobs and economic opportunity for farmers and ranchers, businesses, entrepreneurs, and employees across the United States who cultivate, harvest, store, process, market, and distribute food, particularly in rural areas.

(2) Local and regional food systems provide meaningful access to healthy, fresh, and affordable foods that are grown and processed closer to markets, especially in food deserts and other underserved areas.

(3) Local and regional food systems lower the carbon footprint of America’s food system by growing, processing, distributing, and consuming products locally and reducing the use of fossil fuels.

(4) Local and regional food systems foster American resiliency and independence by helping communities become less dependent on external food sources.

(5) Local and regional food systems increase accountability for farmers, ranchers, and others employed in the field to engage in sustainable and ethical practices.

(6) By supporting the growth and advancement of local and regional food systems, the people of the United States are investing in an environmentally and economically resilient food and agriculture system that provides opportunity and livelihoods for farmers, ranchers, businesses, and employees throughout the economy.

(a) Increase in number of value chain coordinators.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall expand Rural Development Agency participation in the Food Leveraging Investment for Network Coordination (LINC) program, a public-private partnership to enhance regional food-value chains, to deploy during each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023 at least 25 full-time value chain coordinators to provide local food sector coordination services.

(b) Location of value chain coordinators.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall ensure that at least 5 value chain coordinators deployed under subsection (a) are located in each of the following:

(1) The Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

(2) The Northeast region of the United States.

(3) The Western region of the United States.

(4) The Midwest region of the United States.

(5) The Southern region of the United States.

(c) Coordination services described.—The duties of a value chain coordinator include the following:

(4) Working with food chain members to build capacity through education and training programs in such areas as organics and other sustainable production practices, food safety, marketing, and branding.

(5) Utilizing grants and other external resources to test new business models to help lower the financial risk of businesses engaged in the value chain.

(d) Funding.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary of the Agriculture shall use to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.

SEC. 903. Ensuring success of regional food projects under the business and industry guaranteed loan program.

(a) Use of funds.—Section 310B(g)(9)(B) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(g)(9)(B)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(v) OUTREACH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Not more than 5 percent of the amounts reserved under clause (iv) for each fiscal year shall be used for outreach, and to provide marketing and technical assistance through Federal entities, and through State and private universities and nonprofit entities (including by contract), to potential recipients of a loan or loan guarantee under this subparagraph, to ensure the full utilization of any such loan or loan guarantee.”.

(a) Support for region-Wide assessment and collaborative planning projects.—Section 6(b) of the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976 (7 U.S.C. 3005(b)) is amended—

(1) by striking “and” at the end of paragraph (1);

(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (2) and inserting “; and”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(3) full value chain assessments at the local and regional levels, as well as projects by entities described in subsection (c) that maximize efficient use of existing food related infrastructure, identify gaps in that infrastructure, and address such gaps.”.

“(a) In general.—The Secretary is authorized to provide grants or make or insure loans under any of the programs authorized by this Act, the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.), or the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.), as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, to assist farmers and rural businesses and cooperatives to maintain or increase the production, aggregation, processing, distribution, and marketing of value-added, niche, or regionally-marketed meat, dairy, and poultry products.

“(b) Priority.—In implementing subsection (a), the Secretary shall give priority to grants or loans that will help increase or enhance the availability and geographic distribution of State- and Department of Agriculture-inspected small processing facilities.

“(c) Small processing facility defined.—In this section, the term ‘small processing facility’ means—

“(1) with respect to an establishment that is subject to the requirements of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), a certain small establishment that is eligible to be selected under section 501(b) of such Act; or

Section 6 of the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976 (7 U.S.C. 3005) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(h) Project database.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this subsection, shall publish, and update on an annual basis, on the Internet website of the Department of Agriculture a database, in a machine-readable format, that contains information with respect to any project with respect to which a grant was awarded under this section in the previous fiscal year.

“(2) INFORMATION INCLUDED.—The database under paragraph (1) shall include, with respect to each project for which a grant was awarded under this section in the previous fiscal year—

“(A) a general overview of such project, including a summary of, the timeline, goals, and objectives for, and key partners and other stakeholders involved in, such project;

“(B) the steps taken to carry out such project;

“(C) any materials used to carry out such project;

“(D) the delivery area of the project;

“(E) the total project cost and any non-Federal funding sources for such project costs;

“(F) a general description of project beneficiaries; and

“(G) the results of such project.”.

SEC. 922. Streamlining of local and regional food program application procedures.

(a) In general.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall, not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, identify procedures that coordinate and streamline the application process for local and regional food programs without compromising program or application quality. The Secretary shall identify such procedures with respect to each of the following:

(1) Streamlining application forms.

(2) Removing repetition from forms and the online toolkit used to complete such applications.

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall implement, without amendment, the final rule entitled “Unfair Practices and Undue Preferences in Violation of the Packers and Stockyards Act” and published in the Federal Register by the Department of Agriculture on December 20, 2016 (81 Fed. Reg. 92703).